Chance Meetings
by quinnarrow
Summary: The Paladins of Voltron are an oddity, even to the others taking refuge in the Castle of Lions. Maz lost her planet, but she may have found a new friend during a strange occurrence. This is my first fanfic and I suck at summaries, please be nice. I will update the tags and rating as characters show up. All Paladins will show up eventually.
1. Mysterious Adventure Zone

**Author's Notes: This is my first fanfic ever and I'm not that great of a writer. I just wrote it and thought "Why not post it?". So here it is. I will add other chapters in due time.**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER**

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 **Chapter 1: Mysterious Adventure Zone**

Maz had heard the stories. Who hasn't? You don't become a semi-permanent resident of the Castle of Lions without hearing about every battle. Many aliens come and go as they are rescued from Galra prisons and sent home. But Maz has no home. Her planet was drained of quintessence shortly after her capture. It was a place of bright, vivid colors, but now it's nothing more than a dull, gray piece of rock. She was part of the selected few to be taken while the Galra left the rest of her people to die with their planet. Others that crossed her path would say Maz was a lucky soul. She didn't feel lucky though.

But her situation could have been worse; much worse. She could have been among her people when the quintessence was drained. She could have been a Galra prisoner for longer than a few cycles. Voltron could have not come at all. So Maz didn't dwell on the hardships of her past. Instead she looked to the hardships of her future. Her coping mechanism worked... most of the time.

She did what she could around the ship: helping Simac, head of the extremely small medical team, in the med bay and cleaning guest bedrooms and lounges. That was fine, but Maz's favorite thing to do was learn. Learn how to write code and hack Galra tech. Learn the mechanics of the ancient Altean technology that surrounded her. Learn how to defend herself so she would never be helpless again. Maz didn't have teachers for these things. War never offers such luxuries. Actually, the only ones with the knowledge to further her skills were the Paladins themselves.

What a thrill it would be just to see one pass by, but that was just wishful thinking. The legendary defenders kept to themselves in their part of the castle. Those areas were restricted to all guests. It made sense that the bridge, primary kitchen and dining room, primary lounge, primary training deck, and the Paladin's living quarters would be closed off. Oh, don't forget the huge hangers that housed the lions themselves. Going there didn't even seem possible. The med bay was the only possible area that Paladin and guest might meet. Unfortunately for Maz, if a Paladin or one of the two Alteans needed the mad bay, only the medical team was allowed inside. But those moments were few and far between. The Paladins weren't legends by getting hurt every battle.

She has, however, seen the Altean royal advisor a few times. Was Coran his name? It was easy to spot his bright orange hair and mustache from across the room. The color reminded Maz of the sacred spring fountain back home. She would always go there after a tough day to watch the sun disappear beneath the horizon. Also, by sheer luck, Maz passed Princess Allura in the hallway once. She was speaking to Coran about something Maz didn't catch. She walked with such grace and confidence that Maz almost missed the sadness lingering in her blue eyes. It was surprising to realize how similar her people looked like the Alteans. Even with these few occasions, it was hard to believe that the universe's defenders existed.

Team Voltron was so cautious, it made Maz laugh. Only the medical team really knew what the Paladins looked like. But even they referred to the heroes by color. Maz is convinced that only the Alteans and the Paladins themselves knew their true identities. Many rumors roamed around the ship about why there was such discretion. Personally, Maz believed it was to protect the Paladin's loved ones back on their home world. It made sense to her, but she had no proof.

Maz dreamed of meeting a Paladin of Voltron. Little did she know; the universe was listening.


	2. Peace In Distant Galaxies Everywhere

**Author's Notes: Just a quick format update. The story hasn't changed.**

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 **Chapter 2: Peace in Distant Galaxies Everywhere**

"All is clear, you may resume your work." The residents sighed in relief at the sound of Coran's upbeat voice.

"Finally," Maz groaned. "I still don't understand why we have to do this for every single battle."

Simac placed his three-fingered hand on her shoulder. "Like I've said before, the heroes have much to worry about during these fights. Taking refuge in the ship's safe room makes their lives easier. It is the least we can do in turn for their protection."

"Yeah, I know." Maz pushed herself off the floor and walked out the door. "Still sucks."

Maz trudged through the hallway back towards the secondary training room, stretching her sore muscles. Sitting in cramped rooms had that effect. The call of battle interrupted Maz's daily workout session. Since the alarms didn't sound, the Paladins were most likely attacking a Galra stronghold or outpost. As much as she liked living in the castle, all Maz could feel was irritation for the interruption.

After another half a varga of training, Maz took a quick shower and headed to her lab. Well, "lab" was a loose term. Shortly after her liberation, Maz was exploring castle hallways trying not to get lost. Eventually, she stumbled upon a small room. There was nothing special about the secluded area. The single table and three chairs took up about half the space. Maz's personal projects quickly took up the rest.

Lately, she's been trying to hack into a piece of Galra tech. Coran was nice enough to lend it to her for practice. Maz's mind was so distracted as she walked through the automated doors she almost didn't catch the figure sitting in a chair. The individual was staring at Maz's borrowed computer through thick glasses (that's what Simac called them when Maz saw the odd device resting on a table in the med bay). Pieces of wild brown hair stuck out from the person's head in such a memorizing way.

"Can I help you?" Maz asked, startling the stranger. She (Maz assumed) looked at Maz in surprise as a gasp passed her lips. "Apologies, I didn't mean to startle you."

"Don't worry, it's my fault. I didn't mean to peek." She offered Maz an apologetic smile. "I was looking for a different place to work. Stumbled across this room and, well, I got curious." She waved her hand towards the screen. "Did you figure it out yet?"

Maz knit her thin eyebrows together. The intruder was intriguing. Her bright eyes shone with… was that admiration? Her hands lightly tapped on the unusual looking computer that rested in her lap. They didn't seem to have an off switch.

She shifted her weight and placed the computer on the table. "You're hacking this Galra communicator, right?"

"Uh, yeah. Well, trying. I've been having difficulty. The runtime of my program is unexceptionally long."

"It looks like you're storing a small chunk of data, ordering it, using a binary search method, then repeating." She mumbled distractedly.

Maz's eyes widened in surprise. Even with hundreds of refugees coming and going, she had yet to meet someone who knew a single line of code. Who was this person? Maz was so stunned she couldn't focus on just one of the many questions running through her head. "Yeah, it's the only search method I know," was the only thing she could manage.

The stranger turned her gaze upon Maz, the corners of her mouth creeping upwards. The mischievous glint in her eyes made Maz uneasy. Maz was ushered into the neighboring chair.

"Wanna learn a few tricks?"

Was this a dream? Was Maz finally going to expand her hacking skills? This was unbelievable. She nodded in anticipation.

"Great," Stranger responded, noticeably happy. "Let's get started. Show me what you know."

Three vargas later, Maz had successfully hacked the communicator. Stanger never gave direct answers on what to do. She acted more like a guide, asking questions that lead Maz in the right direction.

"Thank you for this. Your knowledge on hacking is incredible."

"Thanks. I'd love to teach you more, but I'm pretty sure it's passed dinner and my friends will be looking for me." Stranger gathered her computer and stood. "It was nice meeting you, uh…"

"Maz. It was a pleasure as well."

Stanger thought for a moment before grabbing a random piece of paper from the floor and started writing. "Well, if you need any help with coding," she handed the paper to Maz, "type this into any control panel in the castle and I'll come as soon as I can. Who knows, maybe you'll be able to help me in the future."

Maz took the paper. _Peace In Distant Galaxies Everywhere_ was scribbled in messy hand writing. Such a strange phrase.

"Thank you. Again."

Stranger started walking towards the door. "Good luck."

"Wait! What's your name?"

Stranger contemplated for a moment before offering a warm smile. "Call me Green." She winked and walked out the door.


	3. Happy Unexpected Natural Knowledge

**Chapter 3: Happy Unexpected Natural Knowledge**

 _"Hunk! You'll never guess what just happened."_

 _"What is it Pidge?"_

 _"I was wandering the castle looking for a different place to work and I met one of the residents. Her name's Maz and she's amazing. She…"_

 _"Whoa, hold up. Take a breath."_

 _"Right. Sorry. She was teaching herself coding._ Coding _Hunk. It was incredible. She's the first person we've come across who wanted to do anything other than return home. Plus judging by what I saw in her work space, she's interested in hardware too. If I had to guess, she's been trying for a while."_

 _"Sounds interesting. Weird how none of us have noticed Maz before."_

 _"Exactly. I thought of something on my way here. I helped her learn some coding, right?"_

 _"Yeah…"_

 _"Maybe you could help her out too."_

 _"What did you have in mind?"_

Three movements had passed since Maz's encounter with Green. The more she replayed the event in her mind, the more Maz was sure the intriguing individual was, in fact, the Green Paladin of Voltron.

Maz was extremely close to telling Simac, but quickly decided against it. It was thrilling to have her own little secret.

She continued to practice what Green had taught her. Now able to hack the communicator in less than 20 ticks, Maz turned her attention to the many mechanical projects littering the private lab. Again, having trouble with understanding how a simple holo-screen worked.

Maz let out a frustrated sigh. "Come on. Work with me, will ya?" She tried everything she could think of. The quiznacking thing still wouldn't turn on.

She was about to connect some wires when the sound of the automatic door interrupted her.

"Uh, hello?" Someone called out. Maz turned to glare at the person standing in the doorway, but her expression quickly softened. "Are you Maz?"

"That's me."

The man smiled at her. It gave Maz a sense of calming. Thick arms held a large piece of machinery with ease.

"Great, I was having trouble with my project and I was told you were the one to come see. Do you think you can help me out?"

Maz returned a puzzled look. The man's features were similar to Green's but not at the same time. He was tall and bulky, but in a strong way. His dark skin contrasted Green's pale completion. Besides, Maz would never be lucky enough to meet another possible Paladin. "I can try I guess. Not sure how much help I can provide. My knowledge is pretty limited."

"Thanks. So, this," he nodded to his project, "is a scanner that's supposed find trace elements of Rubidium. The problem is that the range isn't that great and it's way too big." Maz motioned the man to place the scanner on the table and he obliged. "So, what do you think?"

"I have a few ideas, but you have to answer a question first. Why do you need such a thing?"

He hesitated. Only for a moment but noticeable all the same. "Personally, I don't. But the Altean advisor, Coran, asked me to find someone to help me with it. Simac recommended you."

The explanation made no sense, but something in the back of Maz's mind said to trust him. Her instincts hadn't lead her astray yet, so she responded with a shrug. "Alright. Got a sample of rub… whatever?"

The work was difficult. So much so, the project took the pair 4 quintants to figure it out. Actually, Maz did most of the figuring. Yellow, as he called himself (did he like the color of his shirt that much?), asked questions. As time went on, Maz noticed a few things. The questions he'd ask indicated he knew more about engineering than he let on. It felt like Yellow was leading her a certain way, almost teaching Maz new skills. Acting like a guide… just like Green had. Wait, wasn't yellow another Paladin color?

This revelation came when the palm-sized scanner whirred to life for the first time. How could Maz ask? No one on the castle was supposed to see the Paladins much less spend time with one (or two). Fear of being kicked off the ship caused Maz to bite her tongue. But Team Voltron protected the universe. Surely, they wouldn't be so cruel.

"Yellow?" Maz asked quietly.

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering, and you don't have to answer, if you knew someone called Green?"

Silence. The test of their scanner the only sound.

Ten ticks passed. Suddenly the tension in Yellow's shoulders visibly released. "Yes. I know Green."

That was unexpected. At most, Maz thought Yellow would say no or blow her off.

"Oh," she managed. "Have you seen her lately? How's she doing?" That was an acceptable response, wasn't it?

"She's fine. Always busy, but that's nothing new," he laughed. The sound was pleasing to hear. For a brief moment, all seemed right in the universe. Like 'safe' was possible.

The scanner, sitting on the table, beeped indicating it had successfully found the Rubidium sample that sat on the other side of the room.

"Wow, it actually works!" Maz exclaimed.

"I knew you could do it. We should test to see how far the range actually is." Yellow grabbed the scanner and sample and the pair walked out the door.

They never got to test it.

Alarms blared and lights flashed red meaning the castle was under attack. Yellow shoved the project into Maz's arms. "Get to the safe room," he ordered. His expression holding nothing but firmness and determination. Without another word, Yellow turned on his heels and sprinted down the corridor.

"Good luck!" Maz called then whispered "Paladin" to herself. Talking off in the opposite direction towards the safe room, Maz grinned. She had learned everything she need to finish her other projects. One in particular kept coming to mind.

The expression didn't leave her face until long after the battle was won.


	4. Learning All New, Clever Efficiency

**Author's Notes: These chapters are just getting longer and longer. Hope I'm doing the characters justice. Thank you to anyone who reading this story.**

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 **Chapter 4: Learning All New, Clever Efficiency**

Why did she make this thing so difficult to hit?

The small, automated drone flew around the secondary training room at maximum speed. Maz's invention, along with a self-made blaster, were supposed to enhance her training, not frustrate her. She aimed at the drone again and pulled the trigger, only to add another scorch mark to the walls. Even after nearly a phoebe of distance training, Maz had only hit the drone once.

Why distance weapon training? Maz was still working on her machine for close combat and a drone is easier (and faster) to build. Who knew?

The timer went off telling Maz she needed to charge the drone soon. With a sigh, she pulled out the drone's remote and turned it off.

"Giving up already?"

Maz jumped and started pointing her weapon towards the door, but stopped. Of course, it was the one person who could approach her without warning.

"Simac! You know I hate it when you sneak up on me." she exclaimed, quickly noticing the stern expression she was receiving. "Am I needed in the med bay? I didn't receive…"

Simac held up his hand to silence the now nervous youngling. Maz immediately snapped her mouth shut.

"You have done nothing wrong. In fact, it is quite the opposite." The medical expert stepped aside allowing Princess Allura to step into the room.

Maz's eyes went wide as she gave the Altean a respectful bow. "Your Highness, it is an honor."

"The honor is mine. Please rise." Maz obeyed and received a warm smile. The princess turned to Simac. "Thank you Simac. That will be all." He nodded and left.

"How may I be of service Princess?"

"Actually, I wanted to do something for you. You might want to bring your weapon with you." She motioned for Maz to follow her and the two walked down the hallway. "As of late, I have heard a lot of you Maz. You've made quite an impression. For the past movement, I've had the space mice keep an eye on you."

Wait, what? Maz didn't think the space mice were real.

"You've been training yourself in long range combat and are preparing for close combat training. I wanted to help."

During the conversation, Princess Allura had been leading Maz to the Security Door. Beyond the door was the restricted part of the castle. Maz hesitated as the door slide open, but continued with the Princess who was still walking.

"It has been a while since I've allowed anyone beyond this point. I expect you know the discretion I am asking of you."

Maz nodded in understanding and was lead to another door. The princess stopped, Maz followed suit. "Please take as long as you'd like. They've promised to keep their bickering to a minimum, but…" she shrugged. "Enjoy."

With that, the princess turned and left a dumbfounded Maz at the door. This had to be a fever dream. There is no way Princess Allura would bring her to the restricted area, then leave. On the other hand, there was no way Maz could think of something like this. With that thought she walked through the door.

The sound of a blaster hitting a target greeted her. What she saw was beyond belief.

The man's short brown hair was plastered to darker skin via sweat. The blue shirt wasn't fairing much better. But that wasn't what drew Maz's attention. She was focused on his movement. Long legs carried him with impossible speed while long arms held a strange looking blue and white blaster. The man's expression calm.

Three more shots took down as many targets before he noticed Maz.

"End training sequence," he yelled. The targets still intact disappeared through the ceiling. The man ran an arm across his forehead. The blaster disappearing in a flash of light.

"Hey," he said casually. "You must be Maz. I'm Lance."

"Pleasure." Maz couldn't decide if Lance was his real name. "Are… are you a Paladin?"

"The one and only Blue Paladin at your service." Lance gave a mock bow. "Oh, and Mullet Man over there," he pointed to the corner of the training deck, "is Keith. He's the Red Paladin."

The man in question was sitting cross-legged, gloved hands resting on knees. The red jacket was a stark contrast to his long(er) black hair and extremely pale skin. His expression peaceful with closed eyes. As far as Maz could tell, he'd been like that for a while.

Maz's curiosity got the better of her. "What is he doing?"

"He's meditating. Probably talking to the Red Lion."

"Woah! Really? How does that work?"

Lance gave Keith a puzzled look. "You know, I'm not entirely sure. It's kind of like a trance. We go into a mind-scape that allows us to communicate with our loins and each other. He doesn't even know what's going on around him. I'd wake him up, but being forced out of the mind-meld is extremely painful and disorienting."

"You speak from experience?" Maz raised an eyebrow.

Lance laughed. "Unfortunately. Anyways, nice blaster. Mind if I see it?"

Maz handed over the hand-made weapon. Lance looked it over with careful eyes. Out of nowhere, he aimed at Keith and fired. A scorch mark appearing on the floor just in front of his left knee. Keith didn't even flinch.

"Not bad. Sight needs some slight calibration, but still affective." Lance made an adjustment and fired again. This time hitting dead center in front of the Red Paladin. "Ah ha! There we go. Alright, show me what you got."

Lance handed the blaster back to the speechless Maz. He laughed as he called a stationary target from the ceiling. Still speechless, Maz fired at the target, hitting the outer edge.

"Nice. Already better than Mullet."

Maz laughed, but quickly glanced towards the occupied corner. Again, no movement.

"So," Lance said bring her out of her thoughts, "you got the basics down. All that's needed is some adjustments and you'll be a pro in no time."

Lance showed Maz how to hold herself properly. She was about to take another shot when…

"LANCE!"

Two heads whipped around to see the Red Paladin standing up with his arms crossed. It wasn't anger he showed, but annoyance. That caught Maz by surprise.

"Did you use me for target practice?"

Lance smirked back. "You now I can't resist showing off. You should be lucky that mullet of yours is still there."

"That's the last time I meditate around you." Keith scoffed. His purple gaze turned to Maz. "I'm guessing you're Maz?"

She nodded. It was weird having people, much less the Paladins, know her name.

"I hope Mr. Tailor hasn't corrupted you too much yet." Keith jabbed his thumb towards a seething Blue Paladin.

"Hey!" Lance shouted. "It's Sharpshooter now and no, I haven't 'corrupted' anyone. Now if you don't mind…"

Keith chuckled and rolled his eyes and walked back towards the corner. "Whatever." Lance motioned for Maz to continue.

A few more practice rounds and adjustments later, Maz could hit a slow-moving drone.

"Nice!" Lance proclaimed. "You are quite the fast learner. Maybe it because you had such a great teacher." He puffed is chest.

Keith huffed, but didn't say anything. Eventually, the trio called it a day and the Paladins escorted Maz out of the restricted section planning to meet at the Security Doors the next quintant.

It was extremely difficult to sleep that night.


	5. Keep Every Important Thing Home

**Author's Notes: Hello. I was going to wait to post this chapter, but I've had a good couple of days, so why not? There is a small reference to Klance, but it's barely there. I'm loving this story and am already thinking of making a part 2. It will be awhile though, because school is a thing. Thanks to everyone whose read!**

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 **Chapter 5: Keep Every Important Thing Home**

Naturally, Maz was doubtful.

So much good had happened in so little time there was no way the Security Door would open again.

But it did. Maz knocked and the Red Paladin himself opened up.

"Good morning," Maz greeted.

"Morning." He turned and trudged away. Maz followed. "Hope you're ready for a long day. I got permission to work with you all day. Unless we're attacked."

Maz took a moment to process this revelation. "Wow. I… Thank you, but why am I receiving so much help? Surely the Paladins of Voltron have better things to worry about than training a random stranger."

Keith shrugged. "The team seems to like you. Pidge especially. Plus, Allura said she sees potential for something."

Pidge, huh? That had to be Green or Yellow. And the Princess sees what? Maz wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. It kind of frightened her.

The opening of the Training Deck door drew Maz out of her thoughts. Keith stripped off his red jacket revealing a plain black t-shirt. He walked over to a punching dummy. "Alright, let's start with the basics."

They spent about two vargas with the dummy. Who knew so much was needed for a decent punch and kick. Keith handed the slightly tired trainee some water. She gratefully accepted it.

After draining the pouch, Maz headed back towards the dummy, but Keith stopped her. He walked over to the rack of weapons. "Take your pick."

Maz examined her options. There were knives, daggers, swords, staffs, blasters, anything you could think of. She had no idea what she was doing and looked to Keith. "Any suggestions?"

"Well, since this is close-combat, I wouldn't recommend anything that shoots. Other than that, it's up to you. Instinct is an important aspect to being the Red Paladin. Listen to your gut. Only you can tell what's right." He looked down and chuckled. "Wow, I really sound like _him_."

She nodded and scanned the rack again. Swords were never her thing. She was too small for anything heavy. Her eyes landed on… yes. That's it.

"Staff, huh?" Keith questioned. Maz turned to him thinking she made the wrong choice. Instead, his expression held a glint of pride, as if he was expecting it. "Allura would like that."

With a similar weapon, Keith created a set of six movements. Going through the motions slow at first. Calling out numbers to indicate a corresponding move. The metal staff felt surprisingly natural to Maz.

After a slight pace increase, Keith put his staff away. Maz gave him a confused look.

In a flash of light, a red and white sword appeared in Keith's hand. A temporarily blinded Maz jumped at the sudden movement.

"Two." Keith shouted without warning. Maz swung low as practiced. Instead of meeting air, the staff collided with the sword.

"Six." She swung to her left and met the sword once more.

"Five." _Clang!_ "One" _Clang!_ "Three." _Clang!_ "Four." _Clang!_

"Repeat. Same sequence," he ordered.

And that's how it went. The sequence was repeated many times, slowly picking up speed. Soon the pair was a blur of movement.

After what seemed like the two hundredth repeat, Keith called for a break. He didn't even seem to be breathing heavily while Maz was panting.

Halfway through another water pouch, Lance strolled in carrying two bowls of food goo. "Lunch anyone?"

Huh, time flies when you're sweating your ass off. Maz and Keith took a bowl and the trio sat in the corner of the room. She didn't realize how hungry she was.

"What are the others doing?" Keith said, obviously trying to fill the silence. It was weird. Maz had always heard that the Red Paladin preferred the quiet. Guess they were just rumor… was he blushing?

"Pidge and Hunk are in the lab and the dynamic duo are on the bridge planning something." Lance stretched his legs out in front of him and leaned back on his arms. "So, how the _corruption_ going?" he asked playfully.

Keith smirked. "She's picking things up pretty quickly. I wasn't expecting to create a sequence until after lunch, much less perfect it."

Lance's eyes widened, looking at Maz with surprise. "No way, really? It took you forever to teach me a sequence. You're not going easy on her, are you?"

Keith responded with a roll of his eyes.

Maz suddenly became extremely interested in her now empty bowl. It was so rare to receive a compliment like that. And coming from a Paladin made her stomach churn. She couldn't hide the smile on her face.

"Mind if I see?" Lance prodded.

Without a word, Maz stood up and Keith followed. They started about half the speed of before, but quickly got up to tempo. Out of the corner of her eye, Maz saw Lance's shocked expression. Her stomach churned once more at the compliment. Keith stopped after a few dobashes.

"I got nothing." was Lance's response. Keith seemed to take pride in that. "Do you think she's ready for…" he nodded his head towards the ceiling.

"I don't want to push to far on the first day. Remember _our_ first time?"

Lance rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't remind me."

Maz was completely confused. Before she could ask for clarification, both boys suddenly winced. Lance ran both hands through his hair. That's when Maz saw it. A small blue device placed in his ear. After Lance said "Yes, Allura", Maz deduced it was a communication device. Judging by Keith's reaction, he had one as well.

Her suspicions were confirmed when Lance turned to Maz and explained. "I told Allura that I was going to meditate and not bother you guys. Guess I've been caught." He gave Maz an extremely serious look. "Don't ever give the princess a reason to yell at you. It's not fun." Keith nodded in agreement.

With that, the Blue Paladin returned to the corner and sat, legs crossed. He immediately closed his eyes. His fingers twitched on top of his knees for a few ticks, but then went still. Keith explained he'd just entered the mind meld with the Blue lion.

"Can you communicate with the lions without meditating?"

"Oh, yeah. We're always connected. Mostly it's just feelings and ideas, but we meditate to actually talk with them."

Maz just shook her head in amazement and training continued.

Keith called it a quits just before dinner after going through a total of three sequences. Amazingly, Lance still hadn't stirred. As she was lead back to the Security Door, the pair agreed to try and meet for at least half varga three times a movement. Lance would also participate to help with long-distance training.

For the most part, things went as planned. Of course, training was interrupted and even canceled sometimes, but Maz learned to deal with it. On those quintants, she trained in the secondary training room with her own self-made sparing bot. It was nothing fancy but it did the trick when needed.

Keith brought down thier training bot after a while. Maz still hasn't defeated the first level. The Gladiator was cool, but she loved sparring with Lance and Keith. She had even managed to make Lance fall once and Keith has yet to let him forget.

Eventually, Maz no longer required an escort past the Security Door. Apparently, she had somehow earned Team Voltron's trust. Walking into the training room one quintant gave insight to just how skilled the Red and Blue Paladins were. The extremely sweaty pair was sparing with no weapons. Maz found it amusing that neither landed a blow until Lance got off balance. Keith spun, sweeping Lance's legs causing him to land flat on his back. In a blur, Keith pinned Lance's shoulders.

"Alright, alright. I give. Can you get off me now?" Keith smirked and helped the pouting Paladin off the floor.

"Oh, hey Maz. What'd you think?" Lance asked, clearly out of breath.

"I think I need more practice."

Keith tossed her a staff. "Then let's get to work."


	6. Sleepy Hero In Rare Occurrence

**Author's Notes: Ok so this is the last chapter of part one. The name of part two is at the bottom of this chapter. I've said it before, but thank you to all who have read my story. I had a blast writing it.**

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 **Chapter 6: Sleepy Hero In Rare Occurrence**

It had been a long quintant. The Paladins had just freed a bunch of prisoners, so Maz was in the med bay helping Simac. All of the healing pods were being used by those with the worst injuries. There were still about 10 refugees that needed medical attention. Simac and the medical team took the more serious injuries while Maz took care of small scrapes and burns. During the many vargas helping, she caught movement of four tiny creatures scurrying about the room. It seemed odd, but Maz didn't give it much thought.

Instead, thoughts of her home planet filled her mind. Seeing so many refugees at once always brought the buried sadness to the surface. Dinner had passed by the time all of the refugees had been taken care of. Despite being exhausted, Maz was not going to sleep that night. She knew what nightmare would greet her. So, she headed towards the only place she could be alone with a bowl of goo in her hands. Maz entered her lab not knowing what to work on next.

Any distraction would be welcoming, but Maz was having a hard time focusing. An idea would probably come while she ate so she pulled out a chair and froze. Two boxes occupied the chair. Both had notes resting on top. She picked up the larger box and opened the note.

 _Maz,_

 _We wanted to thank you for helping us out a while back. You really_

 _have many impressive talents. Keith told me that you were training_

 _with a staff. This is our gift to you. Feel free to make any modifications._

 _Thanks again._

 _Hunk & Pidge_

Maz stared at the words. It took a few dobashes to completely absorb the information. Shaking her head, she opened the box to reveal a one-foot long metal rod. Nothing about it seemed special, until she lifted it out of the box. The smooth white surface shone in the artificial light. Maz turned it over to reveal a small button no bigger than her thumb. Curiosity over-shadowed any fear of what the button would. With slight hesitation, she pressed it. Immediately, the rod expanded into a staff similar to the one she uses in training. The weight and balance of the weapon was even the same. Maz pressed the button again and the staff collapsed back to its original form. Maz smiled as she found a way to hook it to the back of her belt. The weight of carrying the weapon would take some getting used to, just like the blaster that's now always strapped to her thigh.

She reminded herself to thank the Paladins as the second box drew her attention. It was no bigger than the palm of her hand. The note was written in the most elegant handwriting Maz had ever seen.

 _Greetings Maz,_

 _The Paladins have been telling me about your incredible progress in_

 _your many fields of study. I know you have been asking questions on_

 _why you are receiving such attention. Everything will be revealed in_

 _due time. For now, keep this on you at all times. The Paladins know_

 _nothing about this, but I have a feeling they'll will need you._

 _Princess Allura_

It frightened Maz. She wanted to help in the fight against the empire, but was she ready? Maz doubted the Paladins would ever need her help, but…. if the princess wanted this then she really couldn't say no.

Inside the box was a small white device. It was the same thing she saw in Lance's ear her second quintant of training. She placed the communicator in her ear and it immediately hummed to life. Nothing came through so Maz figured she would be called when needed. After fixing her hair to hide the device, Maz headed towards the secondary training room to test out her new staff and to go through her busy thoughts.

"I'll stay until I get things sorted," she thought.

It was a long night.

Nothing. For four movements there was nothing.

The ear piece was silent since Maz received it. Part of Maz believed the whole thing was a prank. Only the possibility of it being true kept Maz from disregarding it. She wanted to ask Lance and Keith about it, but the Princess's note suggested that wouldn't be a good idea.

Late one night (more accurately what is considered night on the ship), Maz was sitting in a hallway next to one of the few outside windows of the ship. She contemplated whether or not to mess with the device. Twisting it between her fingers, studying it, quickly deducing the outside didn't show much. Instead she memorized every seam and curve.

Sighing, Maz looked out into the vastness of space. So many stars and planets, yet none would ever be like her home. A tear raced down her check as exhaustion started to take over. Her eyes half closing. This was going to be rough night.

"You should get to bed."

Maz turned to the deep voice, suddenly wide awake, hand instinctively reaching for her staff hooked to her belt.

She noticed three things right away. A shock of white hair floating in front of a forehead. A scar across the bridge of a nose. A gray, cyber prosthetic in place of a right arm.

The man noticed Maz's movement and raised is hands, taking a step back. She relaxed immediately, releasing the staff. "Sorry. I didn't mean…"

"No, it's my fault. I assumed you heard me coming." He interrupted. He lowered his hands. "Mind if I join you?"

She nodded and he obliged, leaning against the smooth wall. Maz let her gaze wander back to the window. They sat in comfortable silence for a few doboshes. The man broke the silence. "It's so mind blowing how many galaxies can be seen through such a small window."

"It's pretty crazy. Makes you feel like a speck of dust."

The man looked at her with soft, gray eyes. "Yeah, but even dust settles sometimes. Everything in the universe needs rest. Even you."

"You can't really judge someone for being up in the middle of the night when you are too," she countered.

He chuckled. "Can't argue with that." He paused, a look of worry flashing across his face. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Maz didn't think she was being that obvious. Staying up to avoid nightmares wasn't something she did often, but enough to make her constantly tired. Of course, she wanted to talk about it. And to be honest, Maz didn't know how to describe what was going on. Instead of trying, she stayed silent.

"It's okay if you don't want to," he said, noticing her hesitation. "I've learned it helps to find one person who will listen. Lifts some of the burden, I guess."

"And you've found your person." It was more of a statement than a question. Maz might have been exhausted, but she was still able to process information.

A small smile graced the man's features as his eye grew momentarily distant. "Yeah. It's Allura. Who knew being a diplomat made someone such a great listener?"

Maz laughed. But then it hit her what exactly he just revealed. She slowly turned to him, eyes wide. "Wait, Princess Allura?"

"The one and only," he confirmed.

"So, you… you're…uh…"

"A Paladin?" He showed no signs of uneasiness. No signs he said something he shouldn't have. The trust the man was displaying was incomprehensible.

Maz nodded in response.

"Guess I've been caught, huh?" The joke did nothing to curve Maz's surprise.

It was pretty easy to do the math. Lance and Keith were Red and Blue. Pidge was Green and Hunk was Yellow. That left only one lion.

"The Black Paladin," she whispered.

The Paladin narrowed his eyes. Obviously, he didn't think she knew his specific color. "What gave you that idea?"

Well, there's no turning back now. Maz opened her hand, revealing the white communicator. He looked at the device with a confused look before removing his own from his ear. He compared the black piece with Maz's.

"The Princess gave it to me about four movements ago," she explained.

His eyebrows raised in realization. "You're Maz. Allura and the others told me about you."

Maz blushed. "Didn't realize I was a topic of conversation."

"Oh, no. It's nothing like that," he stammered. "Keith has been telling us non-stop how well you're progressing with training and he rarely gives compliments. All though Pidge seemed disappointed that you haven't contacted her yet."

"I didn't want to bother."

"I can understand that."

The silence returned. The pair enjoying the star's company.

"Hey," he whispered. "If you think this view is cool, you haven't seen anything yet." The Paladin stood and offered his gloved hand. Maz took it and they walked to the Security Doors. As the pair walked down the corridor, Coran turned the corner.

"Oh, hello Shiro. Hello Maz. Late night walk, hm?"

"Hey Coran. Yeah, just talking." Shiro said.

"Don't stay up too late," the Altean advised. He quickly disappeared through a door.

Shiro started laughing. "You know, I'm pretty sure he sleeps less than I do."

Maz decided not to push for an explanation. The Paladin stopped in front of a very large door and turned to Maz. "You ready for the best view on the ship?"

"Yeah, sure." She didn't really know what to say at this point.

The doors opened and Maz had to remind herself to breathe. The room was circular with a blue crystal hanging from the ceiling. A platform graced the center of the floor with two chairs on either side. A fifth chair was located at the front with a control panel. Floor-to-ceiling windows covered most of the walls offering a view like no other. Thousands of dots spread across the endless black background.

Maz found herself drifting to the window and sitting down. Shiro soon followed.

She could've stayed there for the rest of her life, given the chance. The comfortable silence acted like a personal particle barrier, keeping everything unwanted far away.

Drowsiness was creeping in like a shadow. Her eyes were almost half closed when a hand was placed on her shoulder.

"Let's get you to bed," he softly suggested.

Maz nodded and slowly stood. Taking one last look into the darkness, the pair walked back to Maz's room. Shiro wished her a good night and left with silent footsteps. Did she thank him? She'd have to remember that next time they met. Well, that was a big if, but she'd try anyways. Especially since that night offered the best sleep Maz had in a long time.

* * *

 **Part 2** Minds Melding (couldn't get a link to work, sorry.)


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